


Shanghaied

by stacyTHEemo



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: A lot of bloody pirates..., Abuse, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Pirate England (Hetalia), Reader-Insert, Starvation, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 12:22:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8372170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stacyTHEemo/pseuds/stacyTHEemo
Summary: Bipolar Englishmen, pervy Prussians, sincere Spaniards, and sassy Italians... you had never had to deal with this kind of thing! And you felt like you were ready to go insane. You needed to get back... away from these pirates and back to a time when woman weren't such a rarity that they had to be stolen at every turn.





	1. Chapter 1

You furrowed your brow in confusion at the large door in front of you. This was unusual. Arthur almost _always_ answered his door. You had always known him to be very prompt. Not to mention, you two were supposed to have a date. You reached for the handle and to your surprise, his door was unlocked. He always locked his door before leaving, so he had to be home. You opened the door and peaked your head in. "Arthur?" you called.

Nothing. You pouted. _Where in the hell was he_?! You let yourself in, shutting the door behind you. Suddenly, your phone went off and you pulled it out to check. Arthur Kirkland.

"Arthur?" you answered.

"________! Listen, I know we had a date today, but I need to cancel. I promise I'll make it up to you, love," he said. He sounded panicked.

"But I'm already here... where are you? And why wouldn't you just tell me in person?!"

"What?! Your inside?! Get out of here before he-"

"Well, well, well..."

You spun around at the sound of that voice. It was the same as the one on the phone, but- "It looks like a rose has blown in," Arthur smirked, but why was he dressed as a pirate?! And if he was _here_ , then who was on the phone?!

"A-Arthur?!" you choked out.

"Yes, love?"

"No ________, I can explain! Don't trust him, he's not-" you were so stunned that you didn't realize Arthur as he approached you and put his hand over your phone, disconnecting the call.

"That tosser... using his magic to communicate with you," the pirate sighed, and then his eyes fell on you, a smirk playing on his lips.

"W-Who are y-you?!" you stuttered. Whether you wanted to admit it or not, Arthur in his pirate drab was sexy... _and he knew it_.

"My dear, little rose... I'm Captain Arthur Kirkland. At your service," he replied, taking your hand in his as he lifted it to his lips. He placed a delicate kiss upon your hand. 

"No, I can't..."

"My apologies. Did you not like it?"

"Well, not really, but-"

"You're flushed, love," he murmured, his hand brushing your hair out of your face. Yeah, no kidding you were flushed. It felt like your cheeks were on fire!

"W-Where's Arthur?" you asked timidly. As charming as he was, this man intimidated you. He seemed much larger than the Arthur you were used to. 

"I'm right here, love."

"I-I mean, the Arthur on the phone," you said, raising your cell phone to clarify. The pirate before you sighed.

"Right, right... I'll make ye a deal, lass. Come with me for the day, and then I'll tell you where I hid the old git." You narrowed your eyes at him. Sure, this was Arthur, but could you really trust a pirate?

"Do you promise?"

"Captain's honor," he replied, briefly removing his hat and bowing his head to you. The edge of his eyes trapped you in his gaze. Those glowing orbs of emerald... the very same as the missing Englishman's that you knew all too well.

"Fine..." you replied, unsure of your actions. _The Arthur on the phone said not to trust him!_

"Brilliant. And look at it this way... technically speaking, it's not even cheating," he smiled, wrapping one of his long arms around your waist and pulling you against his chest. You gasped in surprise, looking up at him. You couldn't deny that this was Arthur. Sure, he was taller and his hair was a bit shaggier... but his eyes, his eyebrows, and that smile told you all that you needed to know. But there was still something wrenching on your heart. Could it possibly be that maybe... just _maybe_ you were happy to be with this Arthur instead? But if he's the same person, does it even make a difference?!

"There's no need to be frightful, love," he murmured, his hand rubbing up your back as his other hand raised your chin, lifting your face to him. He lowered himself, placing a gentle kiss against your lips. Your eyes widened. 

_Oh my God, Pirate Arthur is kissing me!_

What alarmed you more is that you began kissing him back! There was no denying it... he kissed just like Arthur, and if anything he was better. Almost as if you could feel his passion...

_WHAT AM I THINKING?! What would Arthur think of this?! He would be ashamed! But this IS Arthur! GAAAAAAAH!_

When you two broke apart, a playful smile graced his lips. "See? Not too bad... right, my rose?"

There was a clenching in your abdomen. They may be the same person, but this Arthur was undeniably much more daring than the original... not to mention the whole 'pirate' thing made his sex appeal sky rocket. You had never known Arthur to act in such a way, but it was turning you on. And he was still holding you so close!

"N-No... it wasn't bad," you replied, looking away from his eyes as your fists gripped his jacket.

"Good. You'll be getting a lot more of those," he smirked. You had to be blushing like crazy. This was too much to handle! "Come with me. We mustn't waste time," he said, hoisting you off of your feet like a bride. Taken by surprise, you latched your arms around his neck. 

"Where are we going? You aren't really going out in public like that, are you?" you asked. It's not very common to see a pirate walking down the streets of London in this day and age. But he carried you past the front door and towards Arthur's cellar.

"I'm afraid that where we're going, love, it's _you_ who is going to look odd in their clothes," he smirked, descending downstairs. Wait... _what?!_

"W-What do you mean?!" you asked, panicked.

"You agreed to spend a day with me... you never asked where," he said, as he approached a door to a room that you had never been inside. Arthur had asked you to stay out of that room, and you never mentioned it again. When he opened the door, it had a musty smell to it, and was very dark. Suddenly, candles began lighting themselves, all around the room. You gasped in shock.

"Those candles! They just-!"

"________?!"

His muffled voice was coming from somewhere close. Squinting, you could tell that there was a closet in this room, with a chair propped against the handle, as well as a bookshelf and a couple of medieval devices. 

"Arthur?!" you exclaimed. The pirate that gripped you in his arms clicked his tongue. 

"Tsk... can't you shut it for once, you old git?"

"Stop calling me old! We're the same person! And what do you think you're doing, bringing _______ down here?!" Arthur yelled, pounding against the door he was trapped by. 

"We're just gonna have a bit of fun at your expense..." Captain Arthur sneered, as he placed himself in the middle of the room, and a soft glow began emitting from the floor.

" _You_... don't you even consider taking her back there! It's far too dangerous!" Arthur yelled. You tried squirming out of the Captain's grasp, but he held you tightly.

"What are you- let me go!" the glow was getting brighter, and a strange feeling was consuming your body, as if you were disappearing.

"Don't worry, old man... I'll protect her much better than you would."

"If anything happens to her, I swear to you I'll-"

"You'll what? You can't kill me, unless you intend on killing yourself!"

"I'll come for you, ________!"

"Arthur!" you cried, before you were consumed by the brightness.  
______________

The arms that had been holding you disappeared and a coldness enveloped you. A dark, heavy coldness that you couldn't escape. Was this how you were going to die? Floating in this frigidness?

Hands reached out to you and began pulling you. But no matter what you tried, you couldn't reach back. Was this Arthur? Had he come to save you? And what if he was too late? Even as the coldness slowly began to fade, you still couldn't reach out to your savior. You were numb to your surroundings and you could feel yourself slipping, but it wasn't so bad. This place... this numbness was peaceful.

Just when your had reached your resolve, it felt as if someone was dropping an anvil on your chest. Over and over and _over_ again. And suddenly, you were filled with a searing heat that went straight down your throat and set fire to your lungs. And still, you couldn't stop it. Your body was completely useless to you. You had to deal with this pain, until you felt your lungs clench. 

Your eyes shot open, and the first thing you saw were a pair of emerald eyes filled with so much desperation. You rolled away from them and to your side, clutching your stomach as you entered a coughing fit, salt water stinging your throat as you hacked. A strong hand held your side, keeping you steady as another hand massaged your back.

"Thank heavens... there, there. You'll be alright," he murmured. That voice... so comforting and so deceptive. You took in large, gaping breaths as your body shook in pain. So, _that's_ what it felt like to drown. Captain Arthur's arms slipped under you once more, and he picked you up with ease. You wanted to push him away, but found that you felt far too weak. Your arms hung at your sides as you continued gasping for air. 

After being lifted from the ground, you finally took in your surroundings. You were on a pirate ship. And at least a dozen other crewmen were surrounding you, causing you to stiffen and sink further into Arthur's chest.

"W-W-Where am I?" you croaked, your voice hoarse and unsteady.

"Welcome aboard the Red Rose, love."


	2. Chapter 2

"Aren't you going to come out, love?" he asked. You huffed.

"I don't want to..." you replied.

"Now don't be shy," he teased. "If you don't come out, I'll just have to come in myself."

You walked out of the dressing room, your cheeks a bright crimson. You stood before him in a red and black Victorian gown. It wasn't awful... but you just never really cared for dresses. Though, luckily, it wasn't an immobilizing, poofy one.

He smiled down at you. "You look lovely," he sneered.

"You don't have any pants I could wear?" you asked, but your voice was pleading. 

"A lady in pants? How absurd..."

You clenched your fists. "Listen, you damn pirate, I'm not-!"

The back of his hand collided with your cheek, immediately silencing you. You stared off, away from him. You couldn't believe it. Arthur would never-!

"Ladies do _not_ wear pants and they most certainly to not use such language. Learn your place, my love. You are in no position to be making demands," he stated coldly.

You felt his hand caressing the heated flesh of your cheek, but you still refused to look at him. With his hand, he pulled your face towards his, but you still didn't meet his eyes. 

"Look at me, love."

He had your chin grasped firmly in his hand. "In my _eyes_..." he murmured. Reluctantly, you looked into his eyes. Those beautiful green eyes that often held so much happiness and love were now cold and demanding.

"You can reject me as much as you like, but do not forget that I am your only way back to _him_. If you ever want to see him again, I suggest that you behave like a good little whore and do whatever I say," he said, pulling your face to his and planting a forceful kiss against your lips. It was nothing like his kiss from before... and you could kick yourself a thousand times for letting yourself get charmed by a pirate. It broke your heart that this pirate had to be your boyfriend from the past. You couldn't even imagine Arthur ever acting like this. When he broke away from you, you both panted for breath. He rested his forehead against yours and his hand still held you in place.

"Don't make me hurt you again, rose... just love me, stay by my side and I promise that I will treat you like a queen," he murmured.

Why? Why did he have to sound so much like the gentleman you loved? Normally, there was no way that you would put up with this... but did you really have a choice? Captain Kirkland was your only link back to Arthur. You hated being so submissive but if it would get you back home, then you would bare it. Despite every fiber of your being that wanted to fight back, you wrapped your arms around the pirate before you.

"I'm... I'm sorry," you muttered through clenched teeth. He wrapped one of his arms around you as well, his other hand holding your head.

"It's quite alright. I had forgotten how young you are," he said, keeping you close. Who was this person? You couldn't figure him out in the slightest. "Come with me," he murmured, stepping away and taking your hand in his. He pulled you along at a brisk pace. You had a hard time keeping up, stumbling behind him. He chuckled lightly at you, amused.

"You haven't gotten your sea legs yet, but not to worry," he said, leading you above deck. He was like an easily excitable child who you feared to say 'no' to, but when you weren't frightened, he was the most beautiful man in the world.

"Wait a minute, about our deal," you began, tugging your hand back and making him turn towards you, his face suddenly serious. "Did you mean it? Are you only going to keep me here for a day?" you asked. His green eyes bore into yours before a dark smirk played on his lips. 

"We'll see..."

Captain Kirkland kept you by his side all day, giving you a tour of the entire ship. You watched him in wonderment. You had never seen Arthur look so passionate about something, like the way his eyes glistened whenever he looked out at the sea. It almost made you forget that he wasn't your true Arthur. But despite the way he had treated you, you couldn't deny that there was a part of you that truly cared for the pirate. There was no way that you couldn't love every part of _him_.

But would you give him the satisfaction of knowing that? Of course not. Every advancement he made towards you was met with a coldness that you didn't even realize you were capable of. You only wanted to get through these 24-hours as fast as you could. You would be strong for the Englishman waiting for you at home.  
____________________

That night, you sat in Captain Kirkland's room, looking out at the sea. It really was beautiful. You could understand why Arthur was so drawn to it. Regrettably though, you still hadn't gotten used to being on a ship and had gotten sick not long ago, just after dinner. You wondered... if circumstances were different, and if you had fallen in love with this Arthur instead... would he be still so dominant towards you?

You jumped when you hear the door click open. Arthur stood there, his eyes half-lidded with a gentle smile playing on his lips. He shut the door behind him as he looked at you. 

"What a pleasant sight... it's not every day that I enter my cabin to see a lovely, little rose waiting for me," he smirked. 

"Hmph," you groaned, focusing your attention back to the sea. The way the moon reflected into it was mesmerizing. 

"And how are you feeling?"

"Better..." you mumbled, keeping your head turned towards the window. You sunk even lower into the couch. You listened as he hung his coat and removed his hat. You swallowed. Looking at him now would remind you of Arthur more than ever...

You listened to his movements a little longer before you realized he was approaching you. By the time you turned your head, he was right there, looming over you. He leaned forward, trapping you in his arms and propping one of his knees up onto the couch.

"The sea is quite beautiful, is it not?" he murmured. 

"Y-Yes... it is," you replied. He leaned in, closing the space between your faces. Just when he was about to plant a kiss on your lips, you turned your head, his kiss landing on your cheek. 

"Tsk."

He moved his head down, kissing you instead just below your jaw line, sucking on a particularly sensitive spot. You tried backing away from him, but found that you had already sunken as low into the couch as you could. "Your resistance is bothersome..." he mused. You scoffed.

"You want to know what's bothersome? Being _kidnapped_..." you replied bitterly. He chuckled against your skin.

"Come now... am I really so bad?" he asked, continuing to kiss and suck on your neck. You arched into him, your body completely betraying you. "Apparently not..." he smirked.

"And you call yourself a gentleman?" you sneered. He nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, his stubble tickling you as you tried to squirm away. Not that you could really go anywhere. You were trapped between him and the couch.

"My lady, I'll have you know that I am a fine English gentleman," he crooned. "Do you think that just because I'm a pirate that I don't know how to treat a lady? Quite the opposite... now, if you'd please," he said, extending his hand for you to take. You looked at it for a while, having a mental battle with yourself over whether you should reach out to him or not. You didn't want to give him the satisfaction, but you were nearly there... just this one night and then you'd be home free. Hesitantly, you placed your trembling hand into his. He easily pulled you up from your seat and into his arms.

"I do believe that it's time for bed," he murmured. 

"Fine. Where am I sleeping?" you asked, afraid of his answer. 

"With me, of course," he sneered. Your stomach lurched. No. You wouldn't do that to Arthur. You went to pull your hand out of his, but he expected this. He tightened his grip on you and pulled you in even closer, his lips brushing your ear as he spoke. "Unless you'd rather go below deck. You could sleep with the crew... but mark my words; they'd devour you much more greedily than I would, love."

Your breath hitched. "I... I am not a doll for you to do with as you please!" you spat. "I love Arthur Kirkland, but _you_... how dare you wear his face and use his name! The man that I fell in love with is kind and chivalrous... and how you two are one in the same, I'll never understand! B-But... you are. And every time I look at you, I'm reminded of it. So, don't make me do this... because Arthur would never-!"

He silenced you with his lips, surprising you with the gentle touch. You were expecting him to hit you. When he pulled away, his expression was blank and it made you nervous. You flinched when he pulled you closer, burying his face in the crook of your neck. The scruff of his chin sending chills down your spine.

"Just lay with me, love. That's all I ask," he murmured. There was a different tone to his voice, almost as if he was begging for you to submit. Your head slowly nodded before your brain was even aware of your answer. No matter what, you couldn't say no to Arthur, pirate or gentleman.

"Brilliant. I'll fetch a sleeping gown for you then," he said, pulling away and placing a kiss on your forehead. He walked off towards a closet and you stood there, completely baffled. You couldn't figure him out, and that scared you more than anything. He was Arthur, but he wasn't. You could never tell what he was planning next, and to an extent, it gave you a thrill. When he returned, you took the pearl colored gown into your hands then turned towards the changing wall. You stiffened when you felt his hand on your shoulder.

"Might I help you out of your dress, my rose?" he purred into your ear. The hairs on the back on your neck stood on end and a sound that you didn't even know that you were capable of escaped your lips. Not before blushing like mad did you retort.

"I can dress myself."

"Yes, but _undress_ yourself?"

"Pig," you spat, before trying to walk on, but his hand on your shoulder held you in place.

"I do not wish to punish you again," he sneered, as his other hand began unlacing the back of your dress. You shivered as you felt his rough fingers softly brushing against your bare back. It felt so nice, and if you closed your eyes it could be Arth-

"S-S-Stop!" you exclaimed, prying yourself out of his grasp and hurrying over to the small changing area, which was nothing more than a foldable curtain off to the side of the room. You stood behind it, still for a moment. You knew he wouldn't be happy with you. What would he do to you now? You listened with apprehension as you heard him sigh.

"Don't forget to breathe, love," he murmured. In shock, you released the breath that you didn't even realize you had been holding.

"Leave me be," you said as you continued breathing heavily.

"Very well," he replied shortly, and you heard him stepping away. Slowly, you began changing into the night gown he had brought you. It was very old fashioned and made of silk.

Back at home with your original Arthur, you often forgot that he wasn't like you. You forgot that he had seen more than any human could ever hope to see. That he's not just a gentleman, but also a guardian, a delinquent, a _pirate_... and as his fiancé, shouldn't you love every part of him?

When you came out from behind the curtain, he was lounging on his bed. His eyes which had been staring off slowly focused on you, those emeralds looking right through you. A smile graced his features. It wasn't the arrogant smirk you had come accustomed to, but instead, a gentle smile. A smile that seemed to radiate happiness at the sight of you. But while his smile was happy, his eyes were the exact opposite. They were sad. And suddenly, you wanted nothing more than to hold him. You had never seen such sadness held in those beautiful eyes.

You slowly walked towards his bed, taking small, apprehensive steps. Never in your life had you faced such inner conflict. You didn't want to love him, but you didn't want to hate him either. 

You stopped once you reached the edge of his bed. You could feel his eyes on you but you kept your head down, averting his gaze. "I... I apologize," you said, barely above a whisper. "I suppose I may have... overreacted."

For a moment, everything was silent. Neither of you moved, and you suddenly began to feel anxious. But without warning, you felt his hand grab yours and he pulled you down onto the bed with him. You landed roughly beside him, awkwardly lying beside the pirate. 

"I will only forgive you if you lay with me... as you promised," he said, wrapping one of his arms around you and pulling you into his chest. You stiffened at first, but you slowly began to relax in his arms. He was very warm, unlike the frigid sea air. With some hesitation, you wrapped one of your arms around him as well.

While the bed was nothing special, you were surprised by how comfortable you were, warm and secure in Arthur's grasp. Not another word was said before Captain Kirkland's breathing became steady and heavy. Asleep, he looked just like Arthur. You smiled to yourself as you thought of him, but then stopped, remembering the Captain's eyes from earlier. They seemed to carry so much sadness and desperation. 

"Is that why you took me, Arthur?" you whisper to yourself, burying your face into the pirate's chest. "Are you that lonely?"

The arm around you tightened and pulled you closer. "You haven't the slightest idea, love."

 _He was awake?!_ You hid your face from his, shutting your eyes tight in a hopeless attempt to pass out from embarrassment. But he only chuckled, and it wasn't long before both of you were fast asleep.  
____________________

You jerked awake, the sound of a single shotgun reverberating through your ears. You were still in Arthur's arms and his grip on you tightened. Then there was another shot. And another.

"Bloody hell..."

"What's going on? Is someone on the ship?!"

"Not yet," he muttered, releasing you and hurrying out of bed. "Those shots came from the crow's nest. Another ship is close," he said, throwing on his jacket and heading for the door. You got to your feet and quickly followed. The sea air hit you like knives, sending a never-ending trail of goosebumps down your body.

Other crew members had also made their way above deck, awaiting orders. You hurried to the side of the ship. You spotted the other pirate ship in the moonlight. It was much too close for comfort.

"Charles!" Arthur yelled up at the man in the crow's nest. He sounded livid. "What is the meaning of this?! Why didn't you alert us sooner, you insolent scab?!"

"Begging your pardon, Captain, but I drifted off to sleep. I apologize! I don't know what came over me! Please forgive me, Captain Kirkland!"

Arthur grimaced and took out his telescope. "You should pray that Captain Beilschmidt kills you before I do! They've already prepared their cannons! Men, take your stations! Prepare for battle like you never have before!"

The whole crew scattered in a panic. This was bad. You ended up locking eyes with Arthur, his features suddenly switching from angry frustration to concern to more frustration. He hurried over to you. 

"________, go back to my cabin," he said sternly, ushering you along.

"W-W-Wait, what's happening?!" you asked, shivering from the cold. Arthur removed his jacket and placed it over your shoulders. You blushed, immediately getting warmer.

"Because my lookout is a bloody twat, we're about to be fired upon. Now, down below! This is no place for a lady!"

"If it's no place for a lady, then you shouldn't have brought me here in the first place! And I am not going to leave your side!"

"Don't make me repeat myself. To the cabin! There is nothing to be afraid of," he replied, urging you on further.

"No! And I'm not afraid for myself!" you exclaimed. He only paused for a fraction of a second... and was that a blush creeping onto his cheeks? Before you could get a closer look, he wrapped an arm around you and pulled you into him, as he placed a kiss upon your forehead. 

"Don't worry about me, love..." he murmured. You began to protest, but- "If you won't go to my cabin because of your dislike of _me_ , then do it for your love of _him_."

You closed your mouth which had been hanging open, ready to argue. The thought of your Briton made your heart clench. You couldn't risk letting anything happen to you... at least, not if you wanted to see _your_ Arthur again.

"F-Fine... if you think that would be the best," you slowly murmured. But inside, you were shaking with fear. You really didn't want to leave the Captain's side. The thought of anything hurting Arthur, past or present, made your stomach tie up in knots.

"Don't worry yourself... Gilbert is no match for me," he smirked. "Just stay safe. It will be alright, I promise," he said. Almost on cue, the sound of cannon fire shook the ship. Arthur practically tackled you to the ground. The cannon ball burst through the railing of the ship, sending splintered wood all across the deck. On top of you, you could hear a low, angry growl resonating from Arthur's throat.

"Bloody wanker is going to regret that... get out of here!" he said, picking you up and shoving you towards his cabin once again. "If those cannons aren't loaded, I'll be firing you at the ship! Do you hear me, you gits?! Load those cannons and bloody fire!"

You hurried down to his cabin, shutting the door behind you. The sound of cannons began to fill your ears, the ship jolting with each hit. Your heart was about to leap out of your chest.

Well, this was just _great_. What if Captain Beilschmidt won? What if the ship sank? And what if you died because of it?!

Above you, there was nothing but shouting and clanging. Had the other pirates made it on board? What if they came down here?! With your back pressed against the wall, you began to slide down until you were on the floor. You wrapped Arthur's coat around you. Strangely enough, it smelled just like your Arthur. You nuzzled your face into it... _please let him be okay_ , you thought.

The fighting seemed to be getting worse. You covered your ears, trying to drown out the cannons, but then-

" _Kesesesese_ ~ what's this?"

You jerked your head up to see another pirate. He certainly wasn't on Arthur's crew. His hair was the most beautiful white and his eyes were crimson. "Has old eyebrows gotten himself a wench?"

"What the- who are you?! And I'm _not_ a wench!" you yelled.

"Who am _I_? You mean you've never heard of Captain Gilbert Beilschmidt? The most awesome pirate to scour the seven seas?!" he asked, sounding offended. Your eyes widened. This was him?! Being tired of pissing off pirates, you just went along with him.

"You're Captain Beilschmidt? How did you get-?!"

"I brought my own boat, liebling," he smirked, looking out the window. "You know, I _was_ just gonna ransack Eyebrow's cabin for money and jewels, but I didn't know he had a wench... I'll bet you're much more valuable," he sneered as he began closing the space between you. Damn it... this was bad.

"I-I-I'll never go with you!" you spat. It didn't have the effect you were hoping for. Instead, he laughed at you.

"I'm afraid I never gave you a choice!"

"Captain Kirkland will kill you when he realizes I'm gone," you said, though, it was an empty threat. Would the pirate even care? He would probably be happy that he no longer had to deal with you... what were you to him but a toy? Tears threatened to spill from your eyes. How you wished your Arthur was here... how you wished to be home, safe with him.

"Oh, I'm not too worried about him... the spy that the awesome me placed on this ship drugged your lookout. By the time we were noticed, it was much too late. When we're done with this ship, I plan for it to be at the bottom of the ocean."

 _No... that can't happen... I'll never get home!_ you panicked. You got up and turned towards the door. You had to get to Arthur! But before you could even turn the handle, a long arm snaked around your waist followed by a hand which covered your mouth with a cloth. You screamed and kicked at the pirate.

"Kesesesese~ you're a feisty wench, aren't you? Don't worry; I'll take care of you. Just breathe easy," he said. Your mind was soon clouded by a haze. You suddenly felt weak and sleepy.

"No..." you tried to say, but it was muffled by the cloth. Your vision began to blur and you couldn't even move. And darkness took you once again. 

"Guten nacht, liebling."  
____________________

"This was not our plan, amigo."

"Your right... it's much more awesome than _your_ boring plan!"

"We're broke, you fucking idiot! We needed jewels... not a whore!"

"If you're that upset, we can just sell her... of course, not before we have our way with her. I'm even so awesome that I'll let you have her first, Toni!"

Of all the conversations that you had woken up to, this by far was the worst. With some difficulty, you began to open your eyes. What had happened? You were so drowsy and your body felt heavy. You were seated in a chair and the first thing your eyes focused on was your hands, which were bound in your lap.

"Sleep well?"

You looked up to see Captain Beilschmidt wearing a cocky smile as he looked down at you. Sitting at the desk in front of you was another man with curly brown hair and green eyes. Green eyes that reminded you of a certain someone... standing next to him was a younger boy who was wearing a permanent scowl. 

"Where am I?"

"Well, I-"

"Mr. Fucking Awesome kidnapped you from stupid Eyebrow bastard. Of course, he didn't like that and his ship was blown to shit and now we're stuck with an albino and a whore!"

"Don't call me a whore!"

"Romano, that's no way to talk to a señorita," the man behind the desk softly scolded. "I apologize for the way mi amigo has treated you," he said, rising from his desk and walking over to you. He kneeled down and took out a knife. Your breathing hitched and you sunk further into the large chair. He gently lifted your bound wrists with his rough hands, cutting the ropes with his knife. Catching you by surprise, he began massaging your sore wrists. Was this guy seriously a pirate?

"T-Thank you..." you mumbled shyly. 

"De nada, mi querida. To answer your question, I am Captain Antonio Carriedo. Welcome aboard my ship."


	3. Chapter 3

You didn't like this.

You didn't like this _at all_.

Granted, it could've been worse... but things were already pretty bad to begin with. After sweetly introducing himself to you, Captain Antonio sat back behind his desk and went back into pirate mode. You still had on Arthur's pirate jacket, and you wrapped it tightly around you. You didn't have much else on under your sleeping gown. 

"So tell me, señorita... what was your business with Eyebrows?" he asked. 

"My _business_? Well, I'm not his _whore_ , if that's what you mean." Captain Beilschmidt chuckled behind you, sending chills up your spine.

"If not his whore, then _what_?" Gilbert asked, brushing his lips against your ear, making you blush. 

Well, it's not like you could tell them that you were actually Arthur's girlfriend from the future! But you needed to get back to him, whatever the cost! What could you tell them? Antonio seemed kind of compassionate... you put on the best actress you could muster.

"Captain Kirkland took me hostage!"

The idea left your mouth way before your brain had actually thought it through. 

"Hostage?" Antonio asked. 

"Y-Yeah... you see," you began, trying to formulate this lie. "My fiancé owed Captain Kirkland a debt. When my fiancé couldn't pay him off, the Captain stole me as punishment to make my fiancé work for him. I wanted to escape but... the only way for me to see my love again is to stay by Captain Kirkland's side!" you cried. Well, it wasn't a total lie. You needed to stay by the Captain's side if you wanted to see Arthur again...

"What a stupid sob stor-"

"It's tragic."

"Captain!" the hot-headed boy yelled, glaring at Antonio. His eyes were solemn as he looked at you. 

"Two lovers forced apart... it's a tragedy~!"

"What the... is Francis starting to rub off on you, Toni?" Gilbert asked, but Antonio ignored him, still looking at you. 

"Please..." you began. You had to make this situation work in your favor. "You don't know what it's been like. I beg of you, return me to Captain Kirkland so I may be reunited with my love! He's the only one who knows where he is." You had no idea where this actress inside you came from, but you were thankful and milked it for all that it was worth.

"Very well."

"WHAT?!" Romano and Gilbert both yelled at the same time. 

"Since when did you start doing Eyebrow Bastard any favors?!"

"Pero Lovino, what if you were stolen away from _me_? Wouldn't you want anyone to help you return to me?" Romano's breath hitched. 

"Hey, you can't decide this! She's _my_ prisoner!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"You weren't even supposed to take prisoners, mi amigo. And you should have thought about that before you let your ship sustain such damages. You're on my ship now, and I've decided that we will help return our _guest_ to her amour!" 

Wait a minute... it worked? Holy crap, it worked! "I'll be in your debt, Captain Carriedo," you said, lowering your head to him. 

"Antonio, mi querida. And the only debt you'll owe to me is to reunite with your love."

"Thank you, Antonio."  
____________________

Captain Antonio was more than accommodating. He gave you clean clothes, a warm meal, and even your own room! Well, it was Romano's room. Antonio was quick to give Romano an excuse to stay with him, but not before receiving some choice words from the hot-headed Italian.

"And don't go through my things... and don't touch any of my clothes! And I swear if even one tomato is missing, I'll-!"

"You keep tomatoes in your bedroom?" you asked him. He quickly got flustered before-

"Of course I don't, idiot!" he yelled, stomping out of the room. 

The room was nice, but you found yourself restless. As you laid down for bed, too many things were running through your mind. Was Arthur okay? What about the crew? Where would you find him? What if you _couldn't_ find him? You were starting to succumb to the very real possibility that you would be stuck in this time.

The next day was a long one. Antonio had started immediately. He shared with you the plans that he had made. He showed you a map on which he had marked all of the surrounding pirate ports.

"If he has turned up, he's bound to be at one of these ports. Before he comes for you, he's gonna need a new ship and probably some more crew members," Antonio said. You appreciated all that he did for you, but you still had a lurching feeling in the pit of your stomach. The way that Antonio described the plan made it all seem too easy.

"Why would you go through so much trouble for me?" you asked. "Why not just dump me off at a port to fend for myself?" That's what you expected them to do... who were you to them? Here in this time, you were no one. Without Arthur, you were just a lost soul.

"Do I need a reason to help a pretty girl who is lost at sea?"

You opened your mouth to answer him, only to close it again. He smirked, but- "O-Of course you need a reason!" you stammered. "You're a pirate, Antonio... and pirates don't help others, they only help themselves."

"I gave you my word that I would help to reunite you with your love. My word is all I have. If it's not good enough for you, then lo siento," Antonio replied. You only looked down at your fingers.

"No... I'm sorry. I've had a hard time trusting people lately."

"We'll arrive at the first port by tomorrow," Antonio smiled, before you headed for the door. As you exited the Captain's cabin, Gilbert was standing outside it. 

"Well, it seems like you've gotten Toni to go along with your lie..." he mused.

"I don't know what you're talking about," you said, trying to go back to your room, only to have the Prussian step in front of you.

"Tell me... what's your lover's name?" he asked. You opened your mouth immediately, ready to say Arthur Kirkland but it caught in your throat just in time. It was a trap. But you needed a name, and fast.

"Alfred!" you answered quickly, Arthur's younger brother coming to mind.

"Pfft! Alfred? What kind of name is that?"

"A perfectly common one. Now if you don't mind," you said, crossing past him only to be blocked again.

"And his last name?"

"Jones."

"As in Davey?"

"No, as in Alfred F. Jones. The name of my fiancé," you lied. Boy, did that sound weird...

"Well, I still don't believe you."

"Well, I still don't care. Captain Antonio is helping me whether you like it or not. I'm done with being your stupid captive," you said, and with that you pushed him out of your way. That cocky Prussian... he made your skin crawl. And the way he looked at you made you feel like a rabbit under the intense, predatory gaze of a wolf.

Days passed, along with countless ports and there was still no Arthur to be found. With each disappointment, your hope began to fade. How long would Antonio continue to search? Weeks? Months? This couldn't continue forever.

One day, after another disappointment, you dragged yourself back to your cabin. Laying down, you noticed something you hadn't really paid attention to before. A sword was displayed on the wall behind you. Getting up, you carefully pried it off the wall. You gripped it in one hand. You loved the way it felt. You had to admit that you felt pretty bad ass holding a sword.

Confidence building, you experimentally began swinging it around. You wanted nothing more than to be holding that damn Prussian at sword point. He caused you nothing but trouble and harassed you at every opportunity. You slashed the sword, listening as it cut through the air. Honestly, this was the most fun you had had since-

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO THROUGH MY THINGS, DAMN WOMAN!"

You stopped slashing and turned around. Romano stood in the doorway, looking furious. " _Oh yeaaah_... this is yours?" you asked, feigning obliviousness.

"Of course it's mine, stupid! It's in here, isn't it?!" he yelled, stomping towards you and jerking the sword from your hand.

"Are you any good?"

He scoffed, cutting his eyes at you. "Are you kidding me? I'm the best swordsman around! Way better than that stupid Captain or albino bastard..." he said, turning his back to you and swinging the sword around. That was probably a downright lie, but even so he couldn't be awful, right?

"Would you teach me?!" you asked eagerly. You were so sick and tired of being passed around by pirates. You were ready to stand up for yourself. You couldn't let them push you around forever!

"You want _me_ to teach...?" the tone of his voice shocked you as he turned towards you, like he seemed amazed that someone would ask for his help. But as quickly as it came, it left as Romano realized what he had been about to say. "Yeah right! Like I have nothing else to do but teach a woman how to use a sword..."

No! You almost had him! "Please Romano! I really want to learn! And if I want to learn, I mean... I wanna learn from the best," you said, meeting his eyes. He looked completely dumbfounded, like he couldn't believe the words that were coming from your mouth. But then his expression hardened again, and you figured that was the end of it. You turned to leave him until-

"First of all, you stance is all wrong!" he said, coming up behind you and grabbing you by your shoulder. His right hand met yours as he handed the sword off to you. "When sword fighting, you always need to be defensive..." he began, as he started talking you through some basics. You couldn't believe that he was actually doing this. And that's how you spent the rest of afternoon. 

Later that night, Romano had gotten another sword so you two could spare. Your arm was getting sore from wielding the sword for so long. They weren't light. When you yawned, you realized it was finally time to call it quits. Though for only one day of practice, you had gotten pretty good pretty quick.

"Happy now?" Romano asked, in his normal, aggravated tone. 

"Very. Thanks for all your help!"

"Whatever... it's not like I did it because I wanted to or anything. I was just bored."

"Well I'm happy that you were bored then," you said, hanging the sword back on the wall. Suddenly, the cabin door burst open to reveal a flustered looking Antonio.

"Romano~! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Fuck off, you perverted bastard! You were only looking for me because you're hungry! Isn't that right?!"

"Hungry for you, Lovi~"

In a flash, Romano drew the sword that was still in his hand and held it beneath Antonio's chin, dangerously close to his throat. "What did you say, perverted, old bastard?"

Antonio ignored him, looking instead to you. "Lo siento, ________. Still no sign of Kirkland."

"Yeah, I figured..." you replied, remembering just how unsuccessful Antonio's efforts have been. You felt awful, putting him through all this trouble.

"Aw, don't get discouraged! We've hardly made a dent on the map," he said, nonchalantly pushing Romano's blade away from his neck. "Will you be coming up for dinner?"

"No, I'm not very hungry. I think I'm just gonna go to bed," you lied. You were starving, but had no appetite. 

"Suit yourself... we'll leave for the next port in the morning," Antonio said, turning to leave the room.

"But-" Romano hitched, and then decided against whatever he was going say. He cast you one final glance before leaving you alone.

That night, you found yourself restless. Arthur haunted your dreams and you wanted nothing more than to be laying next to him with his arms around you. Much like the last night that you had been with him.

Tired of tossing and turning in bed, you put on Arthur's pirate jacket and quietly snuck onto the deck. You leaned against the railing, gazing out at the sea. For some reason, looking out at the vast ocean always seemed to calm your nerves. The air was harsh, making you pull the jacket closer to your body. You felt like such a fool, letting yourself get mixed up with pirates...

"I'm sorry, Arthur... I'm so sorry," you whispered, tears forming in your eyes. 

"Hey, wench..."

You jumped and turned, coming face to face with Captain Beilschmidt. How long had he been there?!

"My name is ________," you replied curtly. 

"Whatever..." he replied. Without his hat, his white hair blew in the wind. You couldn't deny that he was an attractive man, albeit an asshole...

"What do you want?" you asked.

"What? I can't come up for air? It's a free deck... I'll do as I please."

"Fine, but why don't you go breathe the air over there?" you said, nodding to the other side of the ship. 

"Nein, I like the air over here... smells like roses," he crooned.

"Smells like your ego to me..." you muttered. He released a growl of annoyance. 

"We don't have to be enemies..."

"If not enemies, then what else? Surely you don't intend on making friends with your captive," you replied. 

"Then what else, indeed," he said, as he began closing the space between you. You tried backing up, but you were caught by the railing. And before you could move left or right, you were trapped by his arms on either side of you. Your breath hitched. How did these situations constantly seem to find you?!

"You see... I don't believe your little story, _liebling_ ," he sneered, his crimson eyes holding you prisoner. "I don't think that there is another man... I think that you're just a whore that Kirkland took a liking to. And if that's the case, then you need to understand... I could take a liking to you too," he murmured in your ear, his voice deep and gruff.

"I... I don't care what you _think_! What I said was true!" you replied as you stood against him, hoping he would back off. Regrettably, it didn't work and now you were uncomfortably close to the Prussian. He only sneered at you in response.

" _Es tut mir leid_ , my dear... but I'm a pirate. And I have no problem taking you by force if I have to," he said, grabbing you and pulling you into a kiss. His lips muffled you before you could get out any kind of sound. You were surprised though, his kiss was oddly gentle. But this was wrong... your kiss belonged to Arthur.

Try as you might, Gilbert wasn't moving no matter how hard you tried to push him away. And he held you so tightly that you could hardly move. You were about to bite his lip when-

"Gilbert!"

His lips froze on yours and his breathing hitched. He parted from you, his head slowly turning towards the mast. That's where Antonio stood, with Romano nervously behind him. Gilbert's eyes narrowed at the smaller boy. Had Romano...?

"That's no way to treat a lady, mi amigo," Antonio said, his voice serious despite the smile he wore. 

"I knew I should have gone to Francis... you've gotten soft, Antonio," Gilbert replied with a sneer. 

"That may be... but even before, I could never bring myself to terrorize a señorita," Antonio replied. Gilbert's hands unlatched from the railing behind you as he began walking towards Antonio.

"Whatever! I'm way too awesome for a girl like her anyway! I'm going to port!" he laughed, waving Spain off. You were on your wits end. That ASSHOLE! You clenched your fists, hoping that if you stared hard enough at his back that he might burst into flames.

"________?"

The sound of your name pulled you out of your stare down. You looked back to Antonio. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Oh... yeah, I'm fine. I couldn't sleep, so I came up for a walk. I'm sorry for making such a disturbance. I should go back to bed," you replied, beginning to walk past Antonio. But he stopped you, gently grabbing you by your arm. You looked up at him, and the look in his eyes scared you... so solemn. 

"If he ever tries to do something to you again, you can call for me or Romano... you don't have to let yourself be overpowered. I want to help you," he said, making you blush. 

"Uh... t-t-thank you," you stammered. He let go of your arm and you quickly hurried back to your cabin. You locked the door and then landed face down on the bed. 

Bipolar Englishmen, pervy Prussians, sincere Spaniards, and sassy Italians... you had never had to deal with this kind of thing! And you felt like you were ready to go insane. You needed to get back... away from these pirates and back to a time when woman weren't such a rarity that they had to be stolen at every turn! You longed to go back to Arthur and his lackluster cooking. This was all too much. You wouldn't really be stuck here forever, would you?

That morning, you got up to help prepare the ship to leave port. You were slowly getting used to the pirate life. Though, you hadn't gotten used to being a woman... seriously, every crew member looked at you like you were meat or you would break at the slightest touch. Antonio was giving orders to his crew, Romano was sitting and scowling (You quickly learned that he's a pro at that), and Gilbert... wait. You hadn't seen Gilbert at all this morning. You _knew_ your morning had lacked harassment...

Looking around, you were sure of it. He wasn't on this ship. Not that you cared or anything. But still... "Antonio, is Beilschmidt-?"

"Oh, Gil? Yeah, he's jumped ship. Not surprising really. Though, I would have thought he would try to take you with him," Antonio answered.

So he was gone? Just like that? You wanted to feel relieved but there was a twisting feeling in the pit of your stomach. Was he really letting you go? Just like that? I sounded too good to be true. And _nothing_ like Captain Beilschmidt. But you wouldn't let it get to you.

A week went by and still no word of an English pirate ship. Antonio would ask at every port you stopped at. On the way to the next port, you made yourself useful by helping Romano in the kitchen. He had really warmed up to you. Romano was a pretty nice guy... until Antonio would come around.

"Smells good... what are you making, Romano?"

"Pasta," he replied, dumping the noodles into the pot of boiling water. You walked over to where his tomato sauce was simmering. You took off the top, only to be hit with the most wonderful aroma. It smelled like a little piece of heaven. 

"Stir it," he said, handing you a spoon. You took it and began to stir.

"Romano, this truly smells fantastic," you sighed. It had been so long since you had seen food like this.

"Of course it fucking does! I'm Italian, what do you expect?"

Okay, so _nice_ wasn't exactly the best way to say it... the concept of _nice_ seemed to be foreign to Romano. But you two had come a long way from throwing curses at each other. You had even gotten a laugh or two out of him. 

"Hola! Dinner smells bueno, Roma-"

"STUPID BASTARD!" Romano yelled, grabbing a tomato and chucking it at Antonio, who ducked to avoid it just in time. "You're not supposed to come in here!"

"Lo siento! I didn't realize you would be making my favorite," he smirked. Romano continued fuming where he stood. "Romano, you look just like-"

In quicker than the blink of an eye, a knife became lodged in the wall right next to the Captain's head. 

"Finish that sentence and next time I won't miss, bastardo," Romano seethed. You froze, watching this entire scene. Note to self: DO NOT get on Romano's bad side. Antonio just stood there, smile on his lips, completely unphased by Romano's behavior.

"I see... fine, I'll go," Antonio said, backing out of the kitchen.

"And what are you staring at?!" Romano yelled at you.

"Oh, nothing! That was just... can you teach me how to do that?!" you asked.

"Teach me _this_! Teach me _that_! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Sorry... I just wanna see the look on Arthur's face when I-"

"Why do you wanna go back to that Eyebrow bastard so bad anyway?!" Romano groaned. You were taken back by his question and the blush that was beginning to show on his cheeks.

"I... I just need to get back home, Romano," you replied. 

"Y-Yeah?! Well, homes aren't always permanent, you know! Homes are just the places that you're happiest, and I mean... _youseemhappyhere_ ," he mumbled so quickly that you could hardly make him out.

You thought about your time aboard this ship with Romano and Antonio. It certainly wasn't bad by any means... but could you really call this place _home_? If things continue as they are, you may not have much of a choice. But before you could say anything- "I'll bring dinner up when it's ready. Get out of here," he said, and you did so.

You sat at dinner with Antonio and Romano later that night. You ate slowly, savoring each bite. Romano really was one hell of a cook.

"Antonio, I want to thank you for everything you've done. Really... you've been so kind and I've done nothing to deserve it."

"Precisely. You've done _nothing_. You were brought here by powers out of your control. Did you expect me to punish you for that?"

"I didn't know what to expect..."

"Well, since we don't know how long you'll be with us, there was something I wanted to discuss-"

"Captain! We've spotted a ship!" said a crewman, bursting in. All three of you at the table stopped what you were doing and hurried to the deck. The sun was beginning to set as Antonio withdrew his telescope. 

"It's a pirate ship... and it's coming for us. Man you stations! Prepare for battle!" Antonio shouted as his crew scattered. "Better safe than sorry."

Your heart pounded in your chest. What if it was Arthur? Had he finally come? You stood by the edge of the deck. As much as you hated to admit it, you loved the thrill this made you feel.

"What in the hell are you so excited about?" Romano said from behind you. You turned.

"Romano..."

"It's probably not even him! Besides, I hear his food tastes like poison!"

"Stop."

"It's not like I care though! I'll be happy once you're gone!" he yelled, running away from you.

"Romano!" you called after him, but he continued running. And you had tried on several occasions, but you could never catch up with him. Did you really want to leave Romano and Antonio? No, but... it's not like you could stay with them! _Right_?

"Captain, do you know if it's a friendly ship yet?" a crewman asked. Pulling out his telescope again, Antonio tried once again to identify the ship.

"Wait a minute, is that... Gil?"

WHAT?

Great... it just _had_ to be the Prussian. Your heart sunk. 

"Everyone at ease... for now," Antonio ordered as he allowed Gilbert to catch up with him. It seemed like a lifetime before Gilbert's ship was parallel with Antonio's. 

"Hello Toni~ how goes the search?"

"I know you could care less about that, mi amigo."

"Long time no see, liebling," Gilbert smirked at you. 

"Not long enough," you answered back.

"Is that any way to treat me? You're so cold! I even brought a surprise for you," he sneered, motioning to his crew.

"UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT, YOU GITS! Do you have any idea who you're bloody dealing with?! I'll-!"

"ARTHUR?!"

"________?!"

Gilbert had Arthur? But _how_?!

"I have some bad news, my friends... it's just as I told you. She was lying~ you want her to reunite with her fiancé? Well, here he is!" Gilbert yelled, pointing at Arthur.

"How do I know that _you're_ not lying?" Antonio asked.

"I found him at a British port, looking for her. He told me everything I needed to know. You can ask him for yourself, if you'd like... under one condition."

 _I hate him. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!_ is all that ran through your mind as you glared at Gilbert. Here was Arthur, so close... but you knew it wouldn't be this easy. Gilbert wouldn't allow it to be this easy.

"And that would be?" Antonio asked.

"The girl."

"And if I don't hand her over to you?"

"Simple: this Englishman will be balled and chained and tossed into the ocean."

"I'll go!" you yelled, before you even thought it through.

"Not so fast! I won't allow this!" Arthur yelled. 

"W-Wait a minute!" Antonio said, pulling you to the side. "Is this true? Did you lie about being kidnapped from your love?"

"No, I didn't! I mean, it wasn't the complete truth but- it's complicated... I needed help!"

" _Whore_!" Romano spat at you. "Let her go! Let her go and never let her come back!"

It was as if your heart was being twisted in your chest. You couldn't do it. You couldn't please everybody... not even yourself.

"I'm really sorry, Romano..."

"Do we have a deal, Toni?" Gilbert asked. "A wench for your greatest enemy? All yours to do with as you please~"

"She's all yours," Antonio said, grimacing and turning away from you. On the other ship you watched as Gilbert smirked at you. 

"Stop this instant!" Arthur yelled as Gilbert's crewmen forced him into a boat. 

"Antonio, I..."

"Prepare the dinghy!" Antonio yelled and the crew hurried towards a small boat. 

"Captain-!"

"You made a fool out of me, señorita. Not only that, but you hurt Romano as well. And for that, I will not forgive you. Now please, leave my ship... take her away!"

You began to panic as a couple of crew members came for you. "I'm sorry, Antonio! You don't have to forgive me, but please... please don't hurt him. I didn't lie to you... you couldn't have been more right when you said that I was lost. I've never been more lost in my life... but he's the only one who can return me to where I belong!"

The crewmen grabbed you and hauled you over to the boat. With burly men on either side of you, you sat completely still between them as the dinghy was lowered. Across the water on Gilbert's boat, you watched as the dinghy that Arthur was on was lowered as well. It was only a couple minutes before the two boats met.

Up close, Arthur looked awful. His face was tired and beaten. Most of his body was bruised and bloodied. You noticed that his hands were cuffed behind his back. But still, he smiled when he saw you. 

"________..."

"Did Gilbert do that to you?" you asked through clenched teeth.

"Listen, don't go with him-"

The crewmen forced you both to your feet, preparing you to switch boats.

"As if I have a choice... how do you expect to get me home if you're at the bottom of the ocean?!"

Taking an unsteady step, you placed one of your legs into the other boat. Arthur did the same. You both stood face to face, one leg in each boat.

"I'm gonna get you out of this, alright? I promise, love."

Arthur closed the gap between you and captured you in one of his kisses. You melted into it. But that kiss... something was-

"Yo, Eyebrows! Hands off of my prize!" Prussia yelled from the ship and a crewman grabbed you, pulling you into the boat.

"Arthur!"

"Be strong for me. I promise I'll be coming!"

The crewmen started rowing you towards Gilbert's ship and your stomach lurched. You didn't want to set foot upon his ship. All the while, you watched Arthur as he was taken to Antonio. 

You hoped so much that Antonio would listen to you. Looking aboard the ship, you saw Captain Antonio looking down at you. And looking past him, you saw Romano. You couldn't help the pang of guilt that overcame you as you stared at the Italian. Would he hate you forever? Would you ever see him again? No matter what, you would always consider Romano and Antonio your friends.

"Come on! Up you go!"

The crewman roughly grabbed you, making you stand up. You hadn't realized that you had made it to Gilbert's ship. In front of you was the ladder which would lead you to a certain arrogant albino whom you couldn't stand. 

With hesitant hands, you began to climb with the crewmen hot on your heels. As you reached the top, Gilbert offered you his hand to help you up. But you refused. You would not indulge him.

"For spending so much time with that Englishman, you have horrible manners! I do believe a lady would take the hand of an awesome gentleman."

"Then if you see an awesome gentleman, please point him out to me," you said, with a hint of snark.

" _Kesesesese_..."

Gilbert grabbed both of your hands, yanking you towards him as he sneered in your ear. "Keep saying things like that, liebling... and you _will_ be punished."


	4. Chapter 4

"I implore you, try the wurst... it's delicious," Gilbert said. You were in his cabin, seated at his grand dinner table. There was a feast before you. And while your stomach longed to be filled, you wouldn't let yourself indulge.

"I don't have much of an appetite," you replied quietly, keeping your head down as you stared at your shaking hands. What hope did you have now? You had to escape. You had to get back to Antonio before he did anything to Arthur.

"Some pasta, perhaps? I doubt it's as good as little Roma's but-"

"I don't want anything but to be set free!" you cried. You were tired of putting on the strong face. All of this was too much for you. You weren't a pirate. You belonged in your own time, and you realized that now more than ever.

"Free? My dear, you're a woman and I'm afraid that you will _never_ know freedom," he stated, as if it were fact. You wanted to argue, but the time was against you.

"I _have_ known freedom," you replied defiantly.

"Then I pity you... it's cruel to let someone like you taste freedom. Now you'll crave it. Go mad trying to attain it. That's why I'm here. I only want to help you, ________. I'll teach you your place once again," Gilbert said, verifying your fears. You stood abruptly, your hands on the table kept you balanced as you looked down at your feet. Unknown to Gilbert, you had been eyeing his sword all evening. Perhaps you could kill him now. You had gotten pretty good at sparing with Romano. You had to get out of here. This may be your only chance. You glanced up to look at Gilbert. His ruby eyes pierced yours, his lips curled into a smirk. He looked positively amused and it made you feel sick.

You ran over to where he had hung his sword and you quickly unsheathed it, turning to face him. He still sat in his seat, chuckling at you. "I really am at a loss here... what am I to do with you?" he smiled, as he rose from his seat.

"You're to let me go," you replied, moving swiftly on your feet, keeping him at an even distance.

"I can't do that..." he mused, stepping towards you, but you remained defensive. You swung at him aggressively and were shocked to see that he actually look surprised as he narrowly missed your attacks. He stepped away but you kept the sword drawn.

"I see that someone has trained you... that really doesn't help my case," he said as he grabbed another sword. "However, you have weeks of experience while I have _years_ ," he said as he advanced you with his sword.

"That might be... but no matter what, I _won't_ stop fighting you!" you cried as you clashed swords with him. He seemed to block your attacks effortlessly. As you found that this was going nowhere, you realized how different it was; sparing and fighting. Could you really _kill_ him?

Captain Beilschmidt took advantage of your inexperience, attacking you with moves you had never seen. Your arms were getting sore as you continued to block his heavy attacks. When you thought you had found a hole, you lunged in with your sword, hoping to puncture his shoulder. But with a strong force, he knocked your sword out of trajection and out of your hands... leaving you defenseless as he raised his sword, tapping it under your chin. You breathed heavily, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"You put up a good fight, I'll admit... but don't do that again," he said grimly, lowering his sword as well as picking up the sword you had dropped. He turned, putting the swords away. You stood motionless. "Did Antonio teach you, or Romano? You see... I taught Toni, who I'm sure taught Romano. You could never beat me," he mused, grabbing a bottle and a glass.

"It's as simple as this: do as I say and you'll have nothing to worry about," Gilbert stated as he poured himself a drink. The atmosphere made your skin crawl.

"And... if I refuse?"

"Then you'll be punished. There's many great ways I can punish you on this ship!" he exclaimed, the excitement in his voice frightening you as he took a sip of rum. "I could tie you to the mast to burn under the sun. I could lock you away like a prisoner in our cellar; with no food or water, mind you. Or I could let you spend the night in the crew's cabins. And trust me, liebling... they're not nearly as gentlemanly as I am. Or-"

"Enough!" you cried. You didn't want to hear anymore. You didn't want to be anywhere near this fucking Prussian!

"The message that I'm trying to get across to you is this," Gilbert began, setting his glass down and advancing on you. You backed away until you hit a wall. Gilbert placed one of his hands against the wall next to your head. The other stroked down your cheek and took a firm hold of your chin. He turned your head, forcing you to look at him.

"You may try fighting me, but you will be punished for it. For every time you step out of line, I will find new and cruel ways to make you atone. And this will continue until I've broken you of your bothersome pride. Everyone breaks sometime... it just takes the right person to put them in their place," he sneered. "As for your punishment for assaulting me... I think I'll let you sleep in the brig tonight. Perhaps if you see the living conditions down there, you'll come to realize just how well I'm treating you," he said, and in one swift motion, handcuffed your wrists in front of you. Grabbing the chain between them, he pulled you along roughly; out of his cabin and down to the lower decks.

"Oy, Cap'in... bring us a treat?" one of the dirty crewmen cooed at you, running his hand down your arm and then squeezed your ass. Without thinking of your actions, you jumped and shirked away from him... and into Gilbert. Gilbert wrapped a strong arm around your shoulders, guiding you deeper through his drooling crew.

"She's awful perdy..."

"Now, now boys... you're frightening the little rose," Gilbert said with mock concern as he paraded you through his crewmen, their greedy hands reaching out to touch you as you tried to squirm away.

"Stop this, please," you begged, turning yourself so you faced Gilbert's chest, your bound hands clinging to his jacket. He didn't say anything. He only continued to push you through until you descended another flight of steps. When you reached the bottom, the floor was damp and the entire room smelled like rotting wood. It was also pitch black. Gilbert let go of you, and a few seconds later he had lit a lamp. The single candle gave the room an even murkier feeling. On the far end of the room, through the dark shadows, you could see a cell. The fantasy was over. This had turned straight into a nightmare. You could feel tears flooding to your eyes. You wanted to go home. You wanted to be warm in bed with Arthur. Not cold and wet, your only hope for a bed being the floor.

"You may think I'm a monster... but this is for your own good. Perhaps you'll stop being so defiant once you realize that this is what awaits you otherwise..." he said, pulling you deeper into the darkness and towards the rusted cage. He turned to you, holding the lamp level with your face. He rubbed his thumb under your eye, the tears spilling. "It seems that it's already working," he smiled, opening the door to the cell, the creaking of rusted metal filling your entire being.

You squealed and jumped back as you felt what you were sure to be a rat scurry across your feet. But it was a _hand_ that grabbed your foot.

"What a nice Captain to bring me such beautiful company..." the prisoner said in a hushed whisper that sent shivers down your spine. Before he could pull his hand back though, Gilbert stepped on them and you heard a crack. The prisoner cried as you shirked away.

"If you value your fingers, you'll keep them to yourself... savvy?" Gilbert said darkly, putting more pressure on the prisoner's hand, eliciting another crack.

"AAH! Aye-aye, captain!" he cried before Gilbert picked up his foot. The Captain grabbed you once again, pushing you into the cell. It was with slight relief that you realized the other prisoner was barred from your cage. You stayed as far away from him as possible. Gilbert closed the door behind you, locking it as he sighed. You turned to see his eyes boring into yours.

"This is hurting me a lot more that it's hurting you, liebling... do you think I enjoy leaving a delicacy like yourself in such a hopeless state? But... I find that it may be the only way for you to realize your place here."

You stepped up to the bars, your slender fingers curling around them. You had never been behind bars before, and the actuality of it all made your stomach plummet. "Gilbert, this... you can't change all that I've ever known. This... me, it's who I am. Why would you claim to love someone, but demand they change? That's not how love works... to love is to accept and you only want to conquer," you exasperated.

"I'll come for you in a days time..." he replied, ignoring you as he turned around and headed for the exit. He hung the lamp back on the nail that it came from and blew out the candle. Your only companions left being the darkness and the prisoner.

You slowly slid down to the floor, hugging your knees to you. You ignored any attempt that the prisoner made to have a conversation with you. Instead, you focused all of your remaining consciousness on the gentle rocking of the ship as you willed yourself to sleep.  
____________________

Gilbert came for you that following evening, and was highly displeased when you refused him. He slammed the door to your cage back in your face. It had been four days now, and your body was aching from no food or water. You sat in the corner, delirious. When you heard the sound of boots on wooden steps, you didn't bother to look up. You could hardly open your eyes, but you didn't need to. You knew who the looming shadow belonged to. Without words, you heard the lock to your cell click open and the door creak.

"Look at what you've done to yourself, liebling," Captain Beilschmidt cooed. You couldn't even move. You felt strong arms slide under you and lift you from the wet floor. All pride thrown aside, you cuddled into his chest. He was so warm, and you were so frigid, a trembling mass in his arms. Without another word, the Captain held you close and carried you back up to his cabin.

The aromas that swam around in the Captain's cabin hit you hard, your stomach aching to be filled. Another feast had been prepared, piping hot and succulent before you. He sat you down in the same chair you had sat in days before.

"You know," he began, kneeling towards you, next to your chair. "There's nothing I couldn't give you," he said softly, bringing his hand up to your cheek. You leaned into it, his warmth too enticing as he turned your head to face his. His ruby eyes glowed through messy white hair. "There's nothing I would deny you..." he cooed, his thumb rubbing circles into your cheek. His other hand lifted a glass to your lips. You drank the foul liquid all too eagerly, your deprivation getting the better of you. You felt your insides light up with heat. You began to feel dizzy, your actions sinking in... "If you would not deny me," he finished.

It was very unwise to drink rum on an empty stomach. It didn't take long for you to feel the effects. Gazing at Gilbert's face, you saw all the things you knew he wasn't; loving, kind... a _gentleman_. You jerked your head out of his hands, the action making your head spin. You grabbed a loaf of bread off of the table in front of you and desperately began eating.

"Calm down, dear. It's much too late for that," Gilbert commented. "When will you realize that I don't _want_ to hurt you... if you would only allow yourself to become lost to me," he murmured, gently prying the bread from your hands as he closed the gap between you, capturing your lips in a kiss.

At first, you didn't move at all under him. But your good reason was lost, drowning in a sea of rum. Right now, you only knew what your _body_ wanted. Your body wanted warmth... it wanted a soft touch... it wanted to run its fingers through his hair, down his toned arms, across his chest... it wanted to surrender. "I'll keep you safe, _love_."

That's all it took. You bit down on his lip and he pulled away, cursing you. _Love_ was _Arthur's_ name for you. And no one else could say it like he could. Your mind was flooded with Arthur and you found your will once again.

"I-I... I _can't_ ," you gasped, catching your breath from the heat of the moment.

"Then so be it," Gilbert grimaced. He grabbed you by your hair as you cried, stumbling as he threw you onto his bed.

That was the night that you learned what it meant to be broken.


	5. Chapter 5

Numb.

That's how you had come to be. You were numb to Captain Gilbert, to your surroundings... to _yourself_. Your hope began to diminish each day as you slowly began to realize that your only chance for freedom was floating miles away on a Spanish pirate ship. And seeing how you pissed off the Spanish captain, he probably wasn't gonna help you either.

It was degrading how little power you held here. Gilbert found that it was his duty to remind you of that every chance he got. Your own body had even betrayed you, becoming a weak, timid... aching mess. You felt like a puppet. And Gilbert was forever going to be your puppeteer, yanking on your strings as they dug into your skin, your limbs still resilient.

The Captain had locked you in his quarters today. Your wrists were shackled, chained to the wall. This was your punishment for refusing to eat the night before. You sat against the wall, drifting in and out of sleep until you felt the ship come to a stop. You jumped as the door to the Captain's Cabin burst open.

Captain Gilbert strode over to you slowly, fiddling the keys in his hands as he searched for the one to your shackles. The expression on his face frightened you. You couldn't tell what he had in mind.

"You're going on a little adventure, liebling," he cooed, kneeling down to you as he took your chained wrists in his hands. So many questions lingered on your tongue.

"W-Why did the ship stop?" you asked. Your shackles clicked open and fell to the floor, revealing bruised wrists.

"We've come to port," he answered. He held your hands in his, rubbing his rough fingers over the sore, sensitive skin of your wrists. He began to stand, tightening his grip on your hands and pulling you to your feet. "Wash up. There's a dress for you in the washroom. Put it on. I'll be waiting outside the door," he said, leading you to the washroom. You bit your tongue to stop yourself from refusing. He shut the door behind you as you entered. 

Fearing what he may do if you took too long, you grabbed the sponge from the shelf. You dipped it into the basin of clean, but cold water. You rubbed slowly, the frigid water bringing goose bumps to your skin. You did your best to wash away the filth, but some things you couldn't wash away... no matter how hard you tried to scrub. There was a painful, dirty feeling that still lingered even after the grime and sweat was cleaned from you.

When you faced the door again, you saw the dress in question. It was a long dress, with cuts on both sides that probably went up to mid-thigh. You'd feel exposed, no doubt... but that's not what bothered you about this dress. It was blue, but not just any blue... it was the same blue that adorned Captain Beilschmidt's jacket. _Prussian blue_. It made you sick to think that you were going to have to wear his color.

With much contempt, you took hold of the dress and pulled it over your head. You pulled and adjusted it in places until it seemed to be fitting correctly. With much apprehension, you opened the door. Gilbert stood before you, looking you over.

"Yes, I think blue is definitely your color. Not that abhorrent red I found you in," he commented.

"What's the occasion?" you asked. You knew he had a plan, but whether it was a good plan you had no idea.

"You ask too many questions. Your wrists, please. Mustn't have you acting up," he said. You raised your wrists, knowing it would be helpless to fight. He shackled you once again, putting you on his leash. "Now, turn around."

You did so slowly, and then you lost your sight as a blindfold was tied around your head. Your stomach plummeted. Whatever he had in store for you, it couldn't be good.

"What's the meaning of this?" you panicked. Tugging on your chains, Gilbert roughly forced you to spin back around.

"Here are the rules while we are at port. Number one: do not speak unless it's asked of you. Number two: follow my every command. I'm sure you know what the punishment will be otherwise. Is that understood?"

"Yes, _Captain_ ," you seethed.

"Then come. It's time to go," he said, tugging on your chains once more, pulling you along. You followed the direction if your chains, listening to Gilbert's steps.

"Mind the stairs," he warned you, as he led you out of the cabin. He took one of your hands in his as you slowly climbed the steps. You felt like a dog... but worse. Like a blind dog, being led to get shot in cold blood.

The thought made your heart stop as you were suddenly consumed with fear. Gilbert would do it. Perhaps he was finally tired of putting up with you.

"Come now," Gilbert ordered, pulling at your chains once more, making your shaking legs stumble forward. "What's the problem?"

"Are you... are you going to kill me?" you asked, in a voice that was so small that you would be surprised if he had even heard you.

"Kill you? Nein, liebling... not after I've found such a good use for you," he said, caressing your cheek. "Relax." He pulled you along, escorting you off the ship, to the docks, and finally to solid ground. You could hear the meaningless chatter of the people around you. Why did no one stop him? Why did no one help?

Peeking out from the top and bottom of your blindfold, you could tell it was dusk. You wondered what use he had found for you. You still felt sick.

"We're here. Step up," he said, taking your hand once more as you stepped into a building. "I'll only remind you one more time to behave. Do whatever is asked of you without hesitation... disobey me and I'll guarantee you a punishment worse than death," Gilbert seethed into your ear. He continued pulling you along.

"Beilschmidt... haven't seen you 'round here for a while. What have you got now?" a man asked. You didn't recognize his voice, but his voice was gruff and frightened you.

"A feisty little flower... ready to be deflowered, if you know what I mean," Gilbert sneered to the man. You gasped, stepping back only for Gilbert to roughly yank you back to him. "Now, now... relax, my rose," he cooed. He pulled out the key to free you from your chains, but he still kept a tight hand wrapped around your arm.

"Feisty, you say? I'll bet one of these dogs will be willing to pay your price. But if she tries to hurt any of my clients... it's gonna be on _you_ , Beilschmidt," the other man replied.

"No. No, I won't let you sell me!" you panicked, trying your best to break free, but Gilbert grabbed you by your hair.

"Times are tough, dear. What it comes down to is we either starve... or you make a gentleman happy for the night so we can eat this week. Savvy? That's the last I want to hear from you!" Gilbert warned as he began pulling you along.

You wished that your heart might stop just so you wouldn't have to go through with this. The next room that you were dragged into was filled with idle chit-chat. Not that it was really chit-chat. You figured it must be filled with men trying to sell off their whores to whoever would pay the price.

"That's a pretty lady you've got, Captain," you heard a man say from in front of you.

"Indeed she is! As beautiful and as wild as the sea! Think you have what it takes to handle her, lad?"

You wanted to wring his throat. He sounded like a god damned car salesman. This was wrong. You were not going to stand for this!

"I have fifty."

"Nonsense. I wouldn't do any less than one hundred fifty. Do you understand nothing of the worth of a Captain's dame?" Gilbert scolded.

"Two hundred," came a voice from next to you, making you flinch.

"Now you, sir... may I have a word?" Gilbert asked, pulling you along. Though you were still blindfolded, you could feel your highest bidder standing close to you. You stepped as far away from him as you could. "You like what you see, son?"

"Not particularly..." the man replied.

"And what's the problem?"

"She seems a bit... ill treated," the man spoke. Gilbert only laughed.

"She doesn't treat me very nicely either! That's why I have to take these precautions."

"Then you, sir, do not know how to handle your women," the other replied.

"I know how to handle women just fine! It just that this one was never taught her place. Now, do you want her or not?" Gilbert said, seeming to get frustrated.

"May I see her face first?"

Gilbert grabbed your blindfold, pulling it over your head. You could finally see that you were in a dark room. Other woman stood around silently as their men talked business. Your buyer stood in front of you. He wore a hat and a mask. In this light, you couldn't make out any other features.

"Like I said, she's a beauty. Not many of these pass through here, so pick while the pickings good. Two hundred, do we have a deal?" Gilbert asked.

"What a coward... wearing a mask in here. That doesn't make you men any more civil. Don't-!"

Gilbert's hand was quick to collide with your cheek. Soon, it began to sting and burn. But no one looked up... no one seemed to care at all... except the mystery man.

"It's not very gentlemanly to hit a woman."

"She belongs to me and I'll deal with her as I please. Now, do you want her or-?"

The shot of a gun reverberated through the room. You watched in complete horror as Gilbert cried out, falling to his knees and clutching his leg. The masked man holding the pistol gave you no time to recover from your shock as he lifted you over his shoulder and began running to the exit.

What was going on? Who was this man and why did he shoot Gilbert? Was he another pirate? Did Gilbert piss him off too? What was the meaning of this? You didn't know whether to be more frightened of him or relieved.

"Leh- LET ME GO!" you yelled, as your ability to speak returned to you. His grip on you only tightened and he quickened his pace, as he ran out the door and you saw the outside of the building for the first time. _The Wench Post_. Really? SERIOUSLY?

"Thief! Arrest that man! He shot me and stole my wench!" yelled Gilbert, leaning in the doorway of building, still clutching his leg. Men came out from every direction. Your captor pulled out his gun once more, hitting most men with one shot. You put your head down, covering it with your hands. If you were gonna get shot tonight, you at least didn't want to see it coming. But not only were men shooting at you, other men were shooting back at them. Had this guy brought back up? He ran all the way to the port and on to a ship. You could still hear shots in the distance as he set you down on the deck. Your legs shook as you tried to keep standing. You looked at him for a long time in the dark before you drew your hand back and sent it flying across his face.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you could have _killed_ me, you lunatic!" you fumed. He loomed over you for a moment, and then with one swift motion, he removed his mask and his hat.

"I would never let you meet death at my own hand, love."

All of your breath was lost as his shaggy blonde hair came into view. That _voice_ made your heart race. You were suddenly overcome with a feeling you hadn't felt in weeks. You felt _alive_ , your hope and will restored as you soon found yourself in his embrace. You basked in it all... his smell, his touch...

"I apologize," he began, as he pulled away. "But at the moment, our time is a bit limited. We must set out to sea before Beilschmidt rallies his crew. Granted, I'd like to see the bastard try to take me on this time, without that Spanish monkey backing him up..." Arthur seethed, nodding to the remaining members of his crew. They scattered as they began preparing to set sail. That was when the gears began turning in your head.

"Arthur, how did you escape? Did Antonio let you go?"

"Huh?" he asked, looking confused. "Escape from what? The ocean? And as if Carriedo could take _me_ prisoner... are you alright? You don't look well... how dare that Prussian treat you like this," Arthur replied, his fingers skimming over your cuts and bruises.

"No, no, no... what are you saying? Gilbert took you hostage and exchanged you to Antonio for me. It had to be you unless..."

Your heart stopped. Had you been exchanged for _your_ Arthur and didn't even realize it was him? You tried replaying the memory in your head, but it was too fuzzy. The details had been lost and the only thing you seemed to recall was the complete sense of dread that was slowly coming back to you.

"You've been through a lot... we can talk later, but I think it would be best if you went to my cabin to lay down-"

"We have to find Antonio."

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on deviantART.
> 
> Hetalia © Himaruya


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